Prince William has made clear he will not be afraid to make difficult decisions as king, declaring: ‘Change is on my agenda’.
The future king has shared intriguing details about his vision for his reign, stating he won’t be “overly radical,” but he is eager to “own” the position, with institutional reform being a primary focus.
‘I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change – I don’t fear it,’ he says.
“What excites me is the prospect of bringing about change—not overly radical changes, but necessary ones,” he remarked.
These statements appear in a new travel show on Apple TV+, featuring William, 43, alongside Canadian actor Eugene Levy, who is renowned for his roles in the American Pie movies and the comedy series Schitt’s Creek.
In the series, The Reluctant Traveller, the actor visits England, where William personally invites him for an exclusive tour of Windsor Castle.
Setting a different tone from typical royal documentaries, William arrives on the electric scooter he uses to move around the Berkshire Estate.
Although not a traditional interview, their conversation, which includes stopping for a pint at a local pub, proves to be revealing in numerous unexpected ways.
Eugene Levy and Prince William appear together on Apple TV+ show The Reluctant Traveler
They are shown sitting down for a pint in the corner of a pub – with Levy opting for a Guinness
The prince refers to the cancer diagnoses of his wife, the Princess of Wales and father, King Charles, describing 2024 as ‘the hardest year of my life’.
He makes clear how ‘tricky’ it was to balance his instinctive desire to protect his family, particularly his children, given the intense public interest in their lives and at times prurient nature of speculation around them.
William describes himself as being ‘so proud’ of how Catherine and the King handled everything that was thrown at them – but admits the experience also took him to some ‘pretty…not great places’.
Turning to the issue of family, William candidly says he has learnt from the ‘mistakes’ that his parents made when he was a child and now knows where to ‘draw the line’ in protecting his own family.
However it is his comments on the future of the monarchy that are likely to spark the most surprise and speculation.
And William makes clear that he is not afraid to embrace – and instigate – change both as Prince of Wales and, one day, monarch.
While this is something we have heard frequently from friends and aides over the years, it is significant to hear it from the future king himself.
He says that ‘being authentic and being myself’ is what drives him, adding: ‘I take my roles and my responsibilities seriously but, it’s important…you don’t feel they own you – you have to own them.’
William invited the star to Windsor Castle during the filming of the Apple TV+ documentary
What is particularly clear is that William will not be afraid to challenge what has gone before, and assess whether the more traditional way of doing things is still ‘fit for purpose’.
‘I think if you’re too intrinsically attached to the history, you can’t possibly have any flexibility because you worry that the chess pieces move too much and therefore no change will happen – and I like a little bit of change,’ he says firmly.
‘I want to question things more.
‘I think it’s very important that tradition stays, and tradition has a huge part in all of this but there’s also points where you look at tradition and go is that still fit for purpose today? Is that still the right thing to do? Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having?
‘So, I like to question things is what I’m really getting at.’
A source close to the prince last night insisted that he does still ‘very much believe in tradition and in the magic of the monarchy’.
They maintain the more familiar aspects of the job such as garden parties, Trooping the Colour and even his own coronation will still be ‘very much be part of the picture’.
But they also acknowledge that William will not shy away from questioning how these things are done, and whether there could be more modern and relevant ways of approaching the role.
This is something he has also done recently with the royal Duchy of Cornwall estate, where a number of housing projects have been designated for the homeless and marginalised in society.
As a young man, William frequently made no secret of how he felt slightly daunted by the future.
However it is clear that this is not his view now.
‘In terms of.. doing the job and things like that, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by that. Not now anyway,’ he says.
‘When I was younger, yeah, there are bits that overwhelm you….but with time and age, I think you feel a bit more settled in that side of things and you go, actually I can do that.
‘And even if a few curve balls come in, that doesn’t necessarily overwhelm me.’
The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy Season 3 premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday October 3.
